Beginning in the fall 2015 semester, California community college transfer students will be guaranteed admission to nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities thanks to an agreement the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and the leaders of such institutions signed back in March of this year.

“Our goal is to make transferring as simple as possible. The campus bureaucracy can be a slow process, which can be overwhelming for students dealing with challenges that arise with meeting the academic requirements,” said Transfer Programs and Services Coordinator Ade Origunwa. “Students who are interested in attending an East Coast college now have more options. It is very encouraging to know California has reached out to these [HBCUs] to make it easier for all community college transfer students to get into private and public universities.”

Under the agreement, students who apply to the schools and obtain a transfer-level associate degree with a GPA of 2.5 or higher and complete either the University of California Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, or the California State University General Education Breadth pattern will be guaranteed admission with junior standing.

The nine colleges participating include: Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C.; Dillard University in New Orleans, La.; Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.; Lincoln University of Missouri in Jefferson City, Mo.; Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark.; Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Talladega College in Talladega, Ala.; Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala. and Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.

“I think the agreement motivates more students to transfer out,” said LMC Student Ambassador Mayrane Gonzalez. “It is a great opportunity for students to really pursue going to the colleges they’ve always wanted to go to.”

In the past, the HBCU tour has had funding issues, and in response LMC Associated Students Vice-President Diona Shelbourne added a line item to the LMCAS April 27 meeting. It would allow LMCAS to donate $5000 each to the HBCU tour and the Southern California Tour.

“I figured if they’re doing it every year and we’ve supported it in the past, or the last year that I’ve been on Senate, that it should be a line item because it’s something that will benefit the students.” Said Shelbourne.